登陆注册
5216200000080

第80章

"Then," said he, "just tell me what you intend to say to Verminet when he comes to you upon the day your bills fall due, and says to you, 'Give me one hundred thousand francs for these five little bits of paper, or I go straight to your father with them'?""I should say, of course--ah, well, I really do not know what I should say.""You could say nothing, except that you had been imposed on in the most infamous way.You would plead for time, and Verminet would give it to you if you would execute a deed insuring him one hundred thousand francs on the day you came of age.""A hundred thousand devils are all the rogue would get from me.That's the way I do things, do you see? If people try and ride roughshod over me, I merely hit out, and then just look out for broken bones.Pay this chap? Not I! I know the governor would make an almighty shine, but I'll choose that sooner than be had like that.

He was quite serious but could only put his feelings into the language he usually spoke.

"I think," answered Andre, "that your father would forgive this imprudence, but that it will be even harder for him to do so than it was to send a doctor to number the hours he had to live.He will forgive you because he is your father, and because he loves you; but Verminet, when he finds that the threat to go to your father does not appall you, will menace you with criminal proceedings.""Hulloo!" said Gandelu, stopping short."I say, that is very poor fun," gasped he.

"There is no fun in it, for such fun, when brought to the notice of a court of justice, goes by the ugly name of forgery, and forgery means a swinging heavy sentence."Gaston turned pale, and trembled from head to foot.

"Tried and sentenced," faltered he."No, I don't believe you, but Ihold no honors and will turn up my cards." He quite forgot that he was in the public street, and was talking at the top of his shrill falsetto voice, and gesticulating violently.

"The poor old governor, I might have made him so happy, and, after all, I have only been a torment to him.Ah, could I but begin once more; but then the cards are dealt, and I must go on with the game, and I have made a nice muddle of the whole thing before I am twenty years of age; but no criminal courts for me, no, the easiest way out of it is a pistol shot, for I am an honest man's son, and I will not bring more disgrace on him than I have already done.""Do you really mean what you say?" asked Andre.

"Of course I do.I can be firm enough sometimes.""Then we will not despair yet," answered the young painter."I think that we shall be able to settle this ugly business, but you cannot be too cautious.Keep indoors, and remember that I may have urgent need of you at almost any time of day or night.""I agree, but remember this, Zora is not to be forgotten.""Don't fret over that; I will call and see her to-morrow.And now, farewell for to-day, as I have not an instant to lose," and with these words Andre hurried off.

Andre's reason for haste was that he had caught a few words addressed by Verminet to Croisenois--"I shall see Mascarin at four o'clock." And he determined to loiter about the Rue St.Anne, and watch the Managing Director when he came out, and so find out who this Mascarin was, who he was certain was mixed up in the plot.He darted down the Rue de Grammont like an arrow from a bow, and as the clock in a neighboring belfry chimed half-past three, he was in the Rue St.Anne.There was a small wine-shop almost opposite to the office of the Mutual Loan Society, and there Andre ensconced himself and made a frugal meal, while he was waiting for Verminet's appearance, and just as he had finished his light refreshment he saw the man he wanted come out of the office, and crept cautiously after him like a Red Indian on the trail of his enemy.

同类推荐
  • 金箓十回度人晚朝开收仪

    金箓十回度人晚朝开收仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Areopagitica

    Areopagitica

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说大鱼事经

    佛说大鱼事经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 诸法最上王经

    诸法最上王经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • South American Geology

    South American Geology

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 穿越囧事:十两皇后

    穿越囧事:十两皇后

    <腾讯原创作者社团未央出品>没什么好说的,一个倒霉的女人穿越后的事情,很囧,很无奈,结局是温暖的!言情+小白+武侠+阴谋,总之乱七八糟的事情,多的数不清……
  • 启灾厄

    启灾厄

    生化末世来临,李明得到了一个可以穿梭幻想世界的系统,好吧,事情开始变得有趣起来了。
  • 我的体内有个神明

    我的体内有个神明

    漆黑的夜晚,沐云同学被一名银发的美少女用一把黑色的刀,抵在了墙壁上,感受着刀上的冷意,沐云知道自己这是被袭击了,只是自己为什么会被袭击呢?沐云不知道,而在这之后,沐云知道了,这次的袭击只是一个开端,一个让自己今后的生活变得不再平淡的开端。新书《我的邻居是个女神》正式发布,希望大家多多支持哈!!
  • 剑域神王

    剑域神王

    一滴血,点燃生灭轮回,一卷经,屠尽诸天万界,一柄剑,横行玄穹宙宇。落魄少年楚天策生死之间觉醒剑王血脉,得到无上传承,破强敌,杀仇寇,横斩天下、剑霸九霄,从此踏上一条热血无尽、狂放霸道的神王之路。我之剑,不分胜败,只决生死!……………………书友群:365421101完本老书,《绝世刀皇》450万字,欢迎大家一阅!
  • 战神大人,约架否

    战神大人,约架否

    元武三年,天生乱象,27岁的龙卿卿从天而降。陌生国度,饥荒肆虐,身无分文,还TM到处都是抓人的大兵。无奈之下,她抄起了自己的老本行-从军。嘿嘿,公吃公住,还有饷银。可这天天约架怎么回事,一言不和就动手?民风残暴,那就让我教你们重新做人。整顿军队,剿灭恶匪,收编流民,混的风声四起,可这个据传行踪诡谲,喜好男风,颜值爆表,战绩爆表,武力值爆表的帝家二子,你能不能别缠着我。盔甲…别拆啊,腰…腰带,里…里衣,亵裤,哎,我的亵裤,本人性别女,爱好男,战神大人,以后我再也不女扮男装混入军队了,求放过。
  • 不畏将来,不念过往

    不畏将来,不念过往

    《不畏将来,不念过往》是一本关于英语阅读学习的书籍。内容包括双语美文、哲理名言、趣味英语知识等,倡导英语“轻学习”的概念,分为“早安,和梦想一起醒来”和“晚安,永远美好的明天”两个部分,选择的内容为哲理小故事和散文,以及早、晚安心语和英语知识的“轻学习”板块,内容活泼、积极向上,或励志或深情,很适合青少年阅读,在阅读过程中还可以轻松学习英语知识,是一本很好的趣味英语学习书籍。
  • 茅山女道士

    茅山女道士

    白家家训——路见不平一声吼。白小西就这么无意中吼了两次,就给自己吼来了个两个男人。偏偏这两个甩都甩不掉的男人,身后还跟着一大批的魑魅魍魉,山精鬼怪...
  • 农妻喜种田

    农妻喜种田

    【本文1V1甜宠】前世,邓玉娴在嫁给段傻子之后,抛夫弃子跟人跑了,却落得身首异处的下场。重生回到新婚夜,邓玉娴表示她要紧抓傻子不放手,打脸渣男把田种,极品亲戚闹上门?呵呵......锄头镰刀来伺候!回头一看,傻子笑呵呵:“娘子,锄头重,莫伤手,有事唤为夫! 【新书《农家悍妻:山野夫君,宠不停!》开始连载。】黛黛读者群:707833118欢迎各位小可爱加入*^o^*
  • 清风渺渺何处烟雨

    清风渺渺何处烟雨

    听闻爱情,十有九悲,本书介绍了各种小姐姐的爱情故事问世间情为何物,直教人生死相许
  • 秋水龙吟决

    秋水龙吟决

    杀尽侠客斩英豪阎王殿前不讨饶秋水龙吟冲天啸不断情丝不入道